Top Ten Musical Rivalries

Pop star rivalries are nothing new, but with the advent of social media it’s never been easier for artists to be bitchy about their creative competition. Here’s our picks of the top ten best new musical beefs and classic old school feuds.

1) Nicki Minaj V Mariah Carey

When hip hop’s femme fatale Nicki Minaj was placed on the American Idol judging panel next to pop diva Mariah Carey, no one expected they’d become BFF’s but then no one expected Nicki to threaten to shoot Mariah before the show even aired! Constant bitchiness via twitter hasn’t helped with Minaj’s latest tweet calling Carey “insecure and bitter”. A real cat fight or an attempt to boost falling ratings? You be the judge.

2) Rihanna V Beyonce

After being named as the ‘most influential pop star’ by a UK music site, Ri Ri celebrated via twitter saying “I only know how to be number 1!! “How dat feel down there on ya knees, Huh?!’”. The comment is believed to be directed at Beyonce’s own bragging track, ‘Bow Down’. She might be the UK’s number one girl but she should probably remember that Beyonce is married to her boss, Roc Nation CEO, Jay Z. That’s bound to make for one very awkward work do at Christmas!

3) Justin Bieber V Niall Horan

One of the juiciest new pop rivalries is between Justin Bieber and One Direction’s Niall Horan. Reportedly, the 1D cutie avoided hooking up with Selena Gomez back in December because he wanted to stay in Justin’s good books. Niall was worried that dating Selena would spark a twitter war with Justin and his loyal ‘Beliebers’. In the end it just wasn’t meant to be. Selena and Justin are now back together, with the provocative instagram pics to prove it. Niall meanwhile has been linked to model Zoe Whelan.

4) Chris Brown V Drake

Bottles and punches flew when Chris Brown confronted Drake in a New York night club last year. The fight, which allegedly began over Drake’s ex-girlfriend, Rihanna turned into a bloody brawl. The feud reignited again over the past month with Drake speaking about Brown in a radio interview saying “his insecurities are the fact that I make better music than him, and that at one point in life the woman that he loves fell into my lap”

5) Nicole Scherzinger V The Pussycat Dolls

After the Pussycat Dolls officially split in 2010, lead singer Nicole revealed that she did ‘95%’ of the singing on the PCD albums. In an interview Nicole claimed that after she finished making the albums, the other girls were brought in the studio to hear the music for the first time. The ex band mates have since called Nicole ‘intense’ and ‘difficult to deal with’. In their defence, the other ‘Dolls’ said “there was a lot more going on behind the scenes.”
6) Tyler, The Creator V Tegan & Sara

Sara Quin, of openly gay indie duo Tegan and Sara, took on rapper Tyler, The Creator by criticizing his homophobic, misogynist lyrics via her website. She vented “In any other industry would I be expected to tolerate, overlook and find deeper meaning in this kid’s sickening rhetoric?” Tyler stands by his use of the word "faggot", suggesting that his now openly gay collaborator Frank Ocean could take some of the power from the term by using it in his lyrics.

7) Flaming Lips V Arcade Fire

Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips created an indie music firestorm when he said the similarly pyro-minded members of Arcade Fire ‘treated people like shit’ during festival performances. Arcade Fire’s Win Butler responded saying they met while he was jet lagged and he ‘hoped he was less of a prick’ Coyne later apologised and then rescinded it adding more fuel to the fire.

8) Damon Albarn V Noel Gallagher

In the 90’s the Britpop phenomenon sparked a race for the UK number one between Blur and Oasis. Blur were victorious but Noel Gallagher’s joke that he hoped Blur would “catch aids and die” appalled both fans and media. Gallagher later apologised saying “I’m over that. That’s what you do when you’re young” The rock star rivalry ended in March 2013 when they performed a duet at a Teenage Cancer Trust gig in London. Noel sang along to Blur’s hit ‘Tender’ to a surprised crowd.

9) Tupac V Notorious B.I.G

Fuelled by the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, the Tupac-Biggie feud quickly escalated, ultimately ending in their deaths. The former friends involved themselves in the competition between their respective record labels. Tensions boiled over when Tupac was shot in 1994. Tupac blamed Biggie’s crew for the shooting. The rappers exchanged musical insults and the turf war culminated in Tupac's fatal shooting in 1996, followed by Biggie's death a year later. Conspiracy theories continue regarding the deaths. When ‘thug life’ imitates art, it can have disastrous consequences.

10) Lady Gaga V Madonna

Lady Gaga has admitted to being influenced by Madonna, but when Lady G’s ‘Born This Way’ was released sounding remarkably like Madonna’s 90’s hit ‘Express yourself’ fans wondered if influence had become copying. When asked about the track, Madge famously referred to Gaga as “reductive”- a polite way of saying she had been crudely imitated. The battle to be crowned queen of pop continues.